Packer



May l2, 1931- G. A. HUMAsoN 1,804,619

ATTORNEY 4 'Patented May 12,

PATENT ori-ice 4GRANVILLE A. HUMASON, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS Application led November 23, 1929. Serial No. 409,222.

This invention relates to new and useful imrovements in a packer.

ne object of the invention is to provide the packer of the character described adapted to be set between an inner pipe and an outer pipe in a well bore to form a fluid tight joint between said pipes. The packer is primarily intended for the purpose of forming a seal between the upper end of a screen, in a well bore, and the surrounding casing in said bore.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of the character described, means for securely holding the packer set, or expanded at the desired place in the casing.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a packing apparatus of the character described that may be released yfrom the surrounding casing and withdrawn or relocated in the casing if desired. 2/ With the above and other objects in view,

' the invention hasparticular relation 'to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings where 1n Figure 1. shows a side elevation partly in section of the upper end of the apparatus shown in collapsed position in the casing.

Figure 2 shows a similar view of the lower end of the ap aratus.

Figure 3 s ows a side elevation partly in section of the upper end and of the apparatus shown in expanded position in the casing.

Figure 4 shows a similar View of the lower end thereof, and

Figure 5 shows a crosssectional view taken on the line 5,-5 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a casing in a well bore. The numeral 2 designates a tubular packer support whose upper end is outwardly flared at 3 and threaded unto the lower end of which is a coupling 4 whose lower end is downwardly tapered forming an expander 5. Around the packer support there is a sleeve like expansible packer 6 which is formed `of rubber or other suitable expansible material and around which there is an envelope 7 formed of lead or other soft metal. The lower 'end of this packer is seated in a groove 8 in the upper endvof the coupling 4 and the upper end of said packer is seated in a similar groove 9 in the lower end of the setting nipple 10. Embedded within the material of the packer 6 are the lower and upper metallic reinforcing bands or rings 11, 12 and lower and upper screws 13, 14 are threaded through the corresponding upper and lower ends of the coupling 4 and setting nipple 10 said setscrewsV also extending 60 through said packer and the reinforcing bands 11, 12 thereof.

Threaded into the upper end of the setting nipple 10 there is an upwardly tapering ex-v pander 15, and threaded through this expanderby left hand threads 16 there is a connecting nipple 17 threaded onto the upper end of which there is a coupling 18. The upper end of the coupling 18 has oppositely disposed J-slots 19, 19. There is a setting string of pipe 20 whose lower end fits into the upper end of the coupling 18 and is provided with oppositely disposed studs 21, 21 adapted to be engaged into and disengaged from the correspondinor J-slots 19.v

Above the coupling 15 the nipple 17 has an annular, wide, external rib 22. Above. this rib around the nipplel 17 are the arcuate anchors 23, provided with, the peripheral grooves 24 in which is seated a retaining ring 80 25. These anchors rest on the rib 22 and closely surround the nipple 17 and depend* ing from the respective anchors are the Shanks 26 whose lower ends terminate in the wedge shaped slips 27 which ride on the external surface of the expander 15 and which have the external teeth 28.

The lower end of the nipple 17 has the ex ternal annular rib 29, adapted to engage the lower end of the expander 15 and below this rib and located in the setting nipple 10 there are the vertical keys 30 spaced apart therearound and which work in the external vertical keyways 31 in the upper end of the packer support 2.

Threaded into the lower end of the coupling there is a tubular section 32, and whose lower end has an external annular rib 33.

Around the tubular section 32 there is a screen support 34 having an internal annular These slips have downwardly .extended Shanks 40 which surround the tubular Section 32 and have external grooves 41 in which is located a retaining rin 42 which holds said slips 38 assembled. en the apparatus is assembled and the packer is in collapsed po` sition the shanks 40 are connected to the section 32 by-means of right hand threads 43.

The Shanks 40 are seated on a coil spring 44- which is housed in between said section 32 and the lower ends of said Shanks and the upper end of the Screen Support, and is supported on an internal annular shoulder 45 of said Screen support. When the threads 43 are in intermeshed said spring is under compression.

' The lower ends of theshanks 40 and the upper end of said screen support have the intermeshing fingers 46, 47, which permit the longitudinal movement of the dogs 38, relative to Said screen support but which prevent their relative rotation.

In operation the apparatus is assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and let down into the well bore until the vscreen 37 rests on the bottom of the bore. The string 20 is then turned to the right and the tubing 17, the setting nipple 10 and the packer support and tubular section 32 will be turned and the threads 43 being right hand threads will be disengaged and thereupon the spring 44 will operate to force the slips 38 into engagement with the casing and to anchor the apparatus to the casing. The string 20 is then turned to the left and, the threads 16 being loosely connected, the nipple 17 will be screwed down through the coupling 15 until the rib 22 thereof engages the upper end of the said coupling 15. The slips 27, will thus be lowered relative to the expander coupling 15 so that they will engage with the inside wall of the casing l. The weight of the string 2O is then applied and it will force the setting nipple 10 downwardly relative to the acker support 2 and this will expand the pac er 6 out against the casing as shown in Figure 3, the keys 30 and keyways 3l permitting this longitudinal movement of the setting nipple relative to the packer support. The slips 38 will sustain the weight of the load above and will relieve the screen of this load and the slips 27 will engage the casing to hold the packer expanded.

the upper end The string 20 may then be suitably turned to release its studs 21 from the J-slote19 and withdrawnleavin the ackerset. If however, it be desire to withdraw the packer, or tomove it upwardly and reset it the stem 2O mag1 be engaged with the coupling 18 and turne to .the right and this will operate, through the left hand threads 16, to elevate the nipple 17 relative to the setting nipple 10 and the rib 22 will engage the anchors 23 to pull the sli s 27 upwardly relative to their ex anders w `ereupon they will contract and reease the casing 1 and thea paratus may then be elevated and reset, as a ove explained, or withdrawn from the casing.

The drawings and descriptions disclose what is considered to be a preferred form of -the invention by way of illustration only,

while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

41. A packer including al tubular packer support, an-expansible packer Sleeve thereon, a tube connected to and depending from Said support and including an expander, a pipe Support around and having a swive'ling connection with said tube, expansible casing engaging means around said expander, a yieldable seat forming a support for said engaging means, a setting nipple on said packer support abutting one end of said packer sleeve and including an expander, eX-

pansible casing engaging means around said` last mentioned expander, a tubular nipple having a threaded connection with said setting nipple, said tubular nipple forming a support for said last mentioned casin engaging means, means on the tubular mp lel engageable with said expander for limiting the longitudinal movement of said tubular nipple relative to said setting nipple, operative connections between said packer support and said setting nipple permitting their relative longitudinal movement but preventing their relative rotation.

2. A packer including a tubular packer support, an expansible packer sleeve thereon, a tubular screen support below the packer support, a tubular member connected to the packer support within and having a swiveling connection with the screen support and including an expander, casing engaging means around said expander, and having a releasable connection with said tubular member, a yieldable seat arranged to act against said engaging means, a setting nipple abutting the upper end of said sleeve and including .an expander, eXpanSible casing engaging means around said last mentioned expander ,operative connections between the setting nipple and packer support permitting their relative lengthwise movement but preventing their relative rotation, a tubular nipple having a threaded connection with said setting nipple and forming a support for said last mentioned Leasingl engaging means and means on said nipple for limiting the longitudinal movement of the tubularnipple relative to the setting nilpple.

3. A packer including'a tubu ar packing support, an expansible packing element thereon, a tubular screen support below the packer support, tubular means connected to the packer support and within and having a swivelin connection with the screen s uport, an including an ex ander, lower caslng en aging means aroun said expander, releasab e interengaging means between said tubular means and said casing engaging means, a -yieldable seat operable against said casing enga ing means, interengaging means between sai screen support and said casing engaging means formed to permit their relative lengthwise movement and to revent their relative rotation, a setting nipp e above said packing element' and having an upper expander, expansible casing engaging means `around said upper expander, operatlve connections between the setting nipple and pack- I er support permitting the1r relative lengthwise movement but'preventing their relative rotation, a tubular member having a threaded connection with said setting nipple and forming a support for said last mentioned engaging means, and means engageable with said upper expander for limiting the longitudinal movement of said tubular member relative to the setting nipple. p

4. A packer including 'a tubular packer support, an expansible packing element thereon, a tubular screen support below the packer sup ort, tubular means connected to the pac er support having a swiveling connection with the screen support and including a lower expander, casing engaging means around said Aexpander and having a threaded connection with said tubular means, a yieldable seat operable against said engaging means, a setting nipple above said packing element and having an upper expander, expansible casing and engaging means around said upper expander, a tubular member having a threaded connection with said setting nipple, interengaging means between said tubular member and said last mentioned casing engaging means through which the latter may be actuated by the former out of casing engaging position, means on the tubular member and engageable with the upper expander for limiting the longitudinal movement of said tubular member relative to said setting nipple.

5. A packer including a tubular packer support, an expansible packing element thereon, a tubular screen support below the packer support, tubular means connected to the packer support and having a swiveling connection with the screen support and including a lower expander, casing engaging ,means around said expander and having a Ireleasable threaded connection with said tubular means, ai'i'yieldable seat i' forming -a support for said engaging means when the latter are released from said tubular'means, a setting nipple above said packing element and having-an upperexpander, e ansible leasingv engaging means around sai upper expander, al tubular member vhaving a threaded connection with said setting ni ple,

interengaging means between said tu ular member and said' last mentioned casing engaging means throu h which the latter may e actuated by the ormer out of casing engaging osition, means on the tubular member for imiting the longitudinal movement of'said tubular member relative to said setting nipple, and interenga 'ng means between Athe se-tting nipple anpacker support permitting their relative longitudinal movement but preventing their relative rotation.

6. A packer includingA a packer support, an expansible packing element lthereon, a screen support below the packer support, means connected to the packer sup ort having a swiveling lconnection with t el screen support and including a downwardly tapering lower expander, casing engagin means about said expander and havin a reeasable threaded lconnection with sai nected to said support, a yieldable seat forming a support for said engagin means when the latter is released from said connection, a setting nippleabove said packing element and having an upwardly tapering upper expander, casing engaging means about said upper expander, means having threaded connection with said setting mpple and also having means engageable with said last mentioned casing en aging means through which the latter may actuated by the former out of casing engaging position.

7 A packer including a packer support, an expansible packing element thereon, a pipe support elow the packer support, means connected to the packer su port and having a swiveling connection wit the pipe support and including an expander, lower casing engaging means about said expander, releasable interengaging means between said means connected to said support and said casing engaging means, a yieldable seatv forming a support for said casing enaging means when the latter is released, interengaging means between the pipe support and the casing engaging means formed to permit their relative-lengthwise movement and to prevent their relative rotation, a setting nipple above said packing element and having an upper expander, casing engaging means about said upper expander, means connecting the setting nipple and packer support formed to permit their relative lengthwise movement and to prevent their relative rotation, a member having a.

threaded connection with said ni ple and inmeans conengaging means and eective to actuate said last mentioned vengaging means into position out of enga ement with the casing, and

means on sai member limiting the longitu-A dinal movement of said member, relative to Y the setting nipple.

8. A packer including a tubular packer support, an expansible packing element thereon, a tubular screen support below the packer support, a tubular section connected to the packer support and having a swiveling connection with the screen support and including a downwardly tapering lower expander, casing engaging means about said f expander and having a releasable threaded connection with said tubular section, a yieldable seat. supported on said screen support and whose upper end engages said casing engaging means, a setting nipple above said packing element and having an upwardly tapering upper ex ander, casing engaging means about sai upper expander, means having a threaded connection with said settin nipple said last mentioned means and sai last mentioned casing engaging means having means which interengage and through which the latter may be actuated by the former out of casin engaging position.

In testimony whereo I have signed my name to this specication.

GRANVILLE A. HUMASON. 

